Jul 18th 2011

batman birthday

This weekend we had a birthday party for Shawn’s brother Kyle. He is a regular fixture over at our place and today he turns 20. So of course we had a completely age appropriate party. A Batman party. Oh yes. And not just any Batman party, but what we deemed a “fun food” Batman party. It was pretty sweet.

There was potato salad, shells & chreez bites, and snake dogs. There were balloons, streamers and a few key Batman decorations. We also had one very hastily decorated coconut cake. It was nice to hang out, eat a bunch of yummy stuff and end the night watching Batman Begins and The Dark Knight (we already watched the Tim Burton’s Batmans last weekend).

Happy Birthday Kyle! (You folks should probably wish him happy birthday too…)

» events / food

Jul 11th 2011

full of life

It’s times like this weekend when I feel as is my plate is completely full. It’s been a busy week on all fronts. Kim and I held the second dinner for A Moveable Feast. Everything came together smoothly and I feel as if something truly special is just beginning. Of course, while I had my camera on the kitchen counter, ready to photograph the meal we created, in the excitement of it all, I didn’t take a single photo from the night. Perhaps it is for the better, to continue with the mystery.

I couldn’t help but share some of the makings of the feast though, just some tidbits.

Mainly, I am just endlessly happy that I was able to make a vegan bastilla; a dish I enjoyed on special occasions as a child. Such a major accomplishment for me.

I know the next dinner is just around the corner, and we’ve already started planning, but in the mean time I’m trying to focus my attention on the multitude of other projects I have always queued up in my mind.

I feel like there is something just on the horizon that is about to reveal itself.

» food

Jul 8th 2011

books and books

There’s nothing like getting totally lost in a book. I have a little bit of a book problem, in which I want to compulsively buy books. I refrain mostly, but it’s my one shopping weakness. Some people like shoes or dvds. I like books.

It’s been less of a problem since I got my kindle, since I will only purchase a new book when I finish the one I’m currently reading. I take the darn thing with me everywhere. Best part, no more filling up space on my bookshelves, which are stacked double deep.

Except for cookbooks. I still have that problem.

I just finished Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman. I love her. I want to live in her books. So magical and tragic and wonderful. I need to pick the next one of hers to read.

I also bought Prometheus Rising as I lost my original copy. It’s a little wacky, but I can totally get behind some of the concepts. I’m finally making Shawn read it.

So what books are you loving right now? I’m always looking for recommendations.

» home

Jul 5th 2011

painting in timelapse

New Home timelapse from miss alix on Vimeo.

Well my dears, I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend. We did a lot of relaxing and still managed to accomplish quite a bit. We finally took care of a few things around our apartment that have been begging to get sorted (I have shelves in my closet!). We snagged the perfect dresser set from a local thrift store. I knew the Jewish Women’s Council would come through for us, and boy did they ever. We found two dressers and a matching bed side table for just over $100. They need a few paint touch ups but are otherwise in perfect condition and have already made our bedroom way more cozy. I’ll be able to give a little tour on the blog very soon.

Which brings me to the video above, we made a time lapse of the painting process in our living room and dining room. As you can see, we had a lot of help, and it still took us two days. Luckily the video is short and sweet. Have I mentioned how much I love our apartment? It’s just perfect for us and I feel so lucky to live here. Oh, and if you’re reading this in a feed, jump out to watch the video.

When I was younger, at the end of every vacation, I would make a list of all the things I accomplished. I will spare you every detail, but there was so much fun packed in to the last few days. Hiking, bike riding, Tim Burton, Tour de France, knitting, reading, movie watching, BBQing, swimming and of course, kitty snuggling.

I took a break from twitter and the web in general over the weekend and it definitely illuminated some things for me. I realize that I do spend probably more time online than I should and it’s important for me to conserve my mental energy for creative endeavors. While the web can be inspiring, it can also be numbing in some ways. That being said, I do really enjoy chatting with people on twitter and seeing what people are sharing, so I’m not about to quit, I just don’t need to keep up with it 24 hours a day.